With its rhythmic and evocative imagery, poetry has the power to transcend the mundane and touch the soul. The timeless art of poetry offers a unique refuge, inviting readers to slow down and immerse themselves in the beauty of language. From profound verses of classical poets to the innovative expressions of contemporary voices, poetry continues to shape and reflect our collective human experience.
Poetry is seen through different trends, such as Social Justice Poetry and Spoken Word Poetry. Both are great examples but different as one addresses social issues such as racial inequality, gender identity, climate change, etc. The other focuses on a form of poetry performed live, often with great emotion and intensity. Here at WHS, the sophomore Language Arts teachers hold a Poetry Slam in the spring to encourage students who love to write poetry to take a jab at spoken word poetry. Spoken word poems can use alliteration, rhyme, repetition, slang, and wordplay, but there aren’t specific rules or a certain format to follow.
A 10th-grade language arts teacher, Mrs. Heaton says, “The most important thing to know about poetry is that you don’t always have to feel like you need to know what everything means, because you can have fun with it. You don’t have to have as much explanation, and it’s a lot more emotion-based.”
You may be wondering why poetry. Why not another type of poetry? Well, poetry’s powerful combination of words, metaphor, and meter helps us better express ourselves and make sense of the world and our place in it. Poetry helps us be more awake, more aware, and more alive. There is a purpose behind inspiring pieces of poetry, and if you feel like you could be that missing piece of the puzzle, show one of your poems to your teachers!
When asked, what do you think is the best way to get started/be involved in poetry, Ms. Asher, a 10th-grade language arts teacher said,
“Poetry is in everything that we do, it’s in the music that we listen to, it’s in the beauty of how we describe the things around us, and it can be what we want it to be. An example would be to scan the library shelves ask a friend or teacher and continue to look at different songs they love to use as a source of inspiration.”
Poetry is an unlimited art that can be obtained through any topic you’d like, filled with however much figurative language, imagery, and diction you prefer. If you see writing poetry as a way to express your individuality send your poem to any of the Language Arts teachers to be displayed in an article about the anthology of poems. Which is a collection of poems grouped by different writers. Lastly, the most important part about poetry is to have fun with it and experience different writing styles.